Whistler Brewing Co.

Originally established in one of North America's premiere ski resorts, started producing beer in 1989. Several ownership/management changes created a somewhat unstable track record, not helped by its bewildering and ever-changing array of products in search of a customer base. In 1999, merged with Coquihalla and Bowen Island and consolidated the brewing operations of those brands at the Whistler facility. By 2001, Whistler brands were purchased by Big Rock Brewery of Calgary, Alberta, but were being produced at Bear Brewing in Kamloops. Big Rock kept a couple of Whistler brands alive for who knows what purpose, but eventually sold the brand along with Bear Brewing (which became Kamloops Brewing) in 2005.

Whistler beers were then relaunched in 2006. Despite the fact that Kamloops is a long way from Whistler - in more ways than one - the Whistler beers are brewed 'exclusively with Whistler Glacier water.' The ambitious aim of the company, according to an on-line article in June, 2007, is to make 'a brew that is known and enjoyed around the world and is synonymous with the place from which it comes.' (...that's Whistler, not Kamloops.)

In 2009, just ahead of the 2010 Winter Olympics, Whistler returned to its namesake town by opening a small brewery at Function Junction. The bulk of product is still brewed in Kamloops, but at least it now has one foot firmly in it's 'home' town, with a Tap House that is open for visitors.